« Igniq.com Gaming News - Bookmark this site Advertisements  Gamasutra has an interesting set of metrics on game software and hardware sales in Japan from last week.According to the figures, Microsoft's great white hope for breaking the Japanese gaming market has failed to outsell even the years-old GameCube in its second week on the charts. The Xbox 360 sold only 8,623 units compared to 17,849 for GameCube - putting them at 1.39% and 2.88% market share respectively. Gamasutra suggest this is down to the absence of Team Ninja's Dead or Alive 4 and a dearth of top Japanese-developed titles so far for the Xbox 360. Gamasutra report Japanese stores are still well-stocked with the next-gen console, in contrast with the situation in the U.S. and Europe where shortages are expected to continue into the New Year. The triumph of GameCube over Xbox 360 is part of a broader success for Nintendo, who dominate the charts for game sales, and whose DS accounts for a whopping 66% of all game hardware sales in Japan last week. More figures on Gamasutra Related: Xbox 360: A Tale Of Two Markets Japan Gives Xbox 360 Tepid Welcome Nintendo Still King Of The Handhelds Discussion >>  Honest gamers fed up with cheaters getting ahead while they have to “work for a living” will no doubt applaud Blizzard Entertainment’s move to ban a few thousand accounts from its World of Warcraft. The announcement of its banning of about 18,000 accounts comes on the heels of news that WoW had broken the 5 million subscription mark on its MMOGRPG. According to Neoseeker.com, Blizzard banned the accounts, saying those who cheat are creating issues for all players as they alter the in-game economies. In games like WoW and Sony’s EverQuest series, crafty cheaters have employed third-party software to create what players call farming or tradeskill bots. These programs enable the owners to automate the process that would give them tradeskill items or farmable merchandise, such as rare gems. By doing this, these players wreak havoc on the economies on individual servers by being able to offer what other players need hours and even days to find or make for a lower price. While it seems brilliant on the surface, those who use auto bots for their farming and tradeskilling not only impair the in-game economies, they also impede the fun-factor of games by making it difficult for others, who play by the rules, to get ahead. Earlier this year, Blizzard banned another 50,000 accounts for cheating. According to Neoseeker, Blizzard has stated it intends to keep an eye on the situation. Source: Neoseeker Related: World of Warcraft Hits 5 Million Mark Blizzard's Desire To Be The Best Blizzard: Sale of WoW Property Illegal Blizzard Confirm WoW Expansion for BlizzCon Blizzard Axes 50,000 WarCraft accounts Discussion >>  An amusing Microsoft-beating video has appeared on the Web which purportedly shows the Xbox 360 being hacked via a Sony PSP.It's hard to see exactly what they're doing in the video, but here's a theory from the many comments on the page: it looks like hes launching a program from the memory stick that is on the psp to the xbox 360. which emulates the 360 to play back_up games (burned games). but if you look closely , the movie is edited alot. atleast 4-5 places. I just dont know what to make of it. PSP Updates is openly sceptical about the video, but we'll know for sure by the 28th - the makers of the video promise to release more details then.XBOX360 Video Hacked - Amusing Video: PSP hacks Xbox 360Related: Xbox 360 Mag to Bundle Free FF XI Beta Xbox 360: A Tale Of Two Markets Sony Anticipates PSP Sales Will Double PSP Hacks and Mods List Discussion >>  History buffs and gamers can combine their interests on the battlefield thanks to a new release in the massively multiplayer role play game world. Matrix Games and Playnet have released Battleground Europe in North America. The World War II massive multiplayer game can be downloaded via the Matrix Games Online Store as a digital download. Boxed copies will follow next week. The full release in North America offers the latest version and perks that were included with the European release in November. Extras include 150-page electronic game manual, a combat equipment guide, game music and more. Also included is 30 days of free play worth $19.99. Battleground Europe features more than 600 cities and 29,000 buildings. Battles in the game can last for days and can cover miles. The zoneless map involves an impressive 217,000 miles of terrain. Players have the choice of controlling an Axis or Allied soldier as they fight on the land, sea or air with other players. Similar to other military themed role play games, Battleground offers players advancement as they defeat enemy soldiers. Successful attacks give players experience, new weapons and vehicles. The game costs $19.99 for download and the boxed set will debut around $29.99. Source: Matrix Games Related: Battle of Britain 2: Wings of Victory New Screens Gary Grigsby's World at War Demo Discussion >>  As U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman work to get their Family Entertainment Protection Act approved, a California judge has given a thumbs down to a similar law. According to Game Daily, U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte halted California’s violent games law saying it was unconstitutional. A similar verdict was reached three weeks ago against Illinois’ Safe Games Act. Laws prohibiting the sales of violent games to minors have been in vogue in the United States and other locales as of late due to concern over the content of titles such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and others. The California law, which would have gone into effect on Jan. 1, 2006, would have prohibited the sale or rental of games deemed violent to anyone under the age of 18. We are extremely pleased by today's announcement,” said Doug Lowenstein, Entertainment Software Association president. “We deeply respect the concerns of the Governor and the Legislature that gave rise to the law. For the sixth time in five years, Federal Courts have now blocked or struck down these state and local laws seeking to regulate the sale of games to minors based on their content, and none have upheld such statutes. It is therefore time to look past legislation and litigation in favor of cooperative efforts to accomplish the common goal of ensuring that parents use the tools available to control the games their kids play.” The recent rulings will make it interesting to see if the act introduced by Clinton and Lieberman will make it through Congress and if so, what will happen from there. Similar to California’s law, the act would prohibit stores from renting or selling games rated M, for mature, to minors. It would carry stiff financial penalties. Related: Opinion: Say 'No' To Family Entertainment Protection Act Irish Crackdown on Violent/Explicit Games X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Discussion >>  News.com is reporting that The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York was threatened with legal action by Nintendo after one of its geneticists named a cancer-causing gene after Pokemon.In a scientific article in Nature back in January 2005, Pier Paolo Pandolfi named the gene POKEMON, which stands for the POK erythroid myeloid ontogenic gene according to Wikipedia. The article predictably enough led to news headlines like "Pokemon causes cancer". Nintendo didn't like the idea of their top-selling kids franchise being associated with deadly diseases, so used their Pokemon USA subsidiary to threaten the center with the law if they didn't rename the gene. The center complied, and the gene now sports the not-as-snappy title Zbtb7. News.com: Pokemon USA threat leads to gene name change Related: Nintendo Still King Of The Handhelds Animal Crossing DS VS The RIAA "Father of Gaming" Gives Thumbs-up to Nintendo Controller Discussion >>  A lackluster year for video game titles is taking its toll on some of the industry’s biggest publishers. Electronic Arts is reporting less than expected fourth quarter sales estimates while Midway Games and Activision are also reporting troubles, according to Video Business. While people in the industry continue to blame part of the shortfall on slow sales of the Xbox 360 and Sony’s PSP, some are admitting the gaming titles for 2005 and weren’t as exciting as in past years. The lineup of products this year is arguably not as compelling," said EA topper Larry Probst. EA Games is best known for its sports titles, including Madden football, but is also the publisher of such games as Battlefield 2 and Harry Potter. Midway, which announced it would lay off as much as 11 percent of its workforce, is the maker of Gauntlet and L.A. Rush. Activision is responsible for such titles as Quake 4, the Doom series and Spider-Man. It is also reporting less-than-expected earnings. Related: EA look to boost market share in Japan EA release Battlefield 2 modding tool EA going stale in the creativity department? Top 20 Best Selling US PC Games Discussion >>  The Xbox 360 is still scarce in retail stores in the U.S., but according to Sean Alexander it's still possible to order one online.Despite the shortages, he has managed to order a Premium unit which will arrive before Christmas. How he did it was by using a tool that tracks which online stores have units in stock, and a nifty piece of software that monitors if the store's web page has been updated and lets you know with a notification on your computer screen. The third ingredient he says is plain old getting up early: Get up early, check early and often Xbox 360 Mag to Bundle Free FF XI Beta Xbox 360: A Tale Of Two Markets Smashed Xbox 360 For Sale on eBay Mobile Alerts Coming For Xbox 360 Players? Discussion >>  Ubisoft have revealed that the game version of Peter Jackson's King Kong includes a secret alternative ending in which you can save the ape from his fate atop the Empire State Building and re-discover him back at Skull Island.Jackson himself explained why the ending was included: "I wanted the game to be able to take the audience a bit further than what the film could," said Peter Jackson. "And the final climax of the game gave us an opportunity to do something that the film could not do, which was to have an alternate ending – obviously everybody pretty much knows how King Kong ends." The game has been available for multiple platforms since the 17th of November, and was released as a launch title for Xbox 360, but it appears noone has figured out how to unlock the Easter Egg on their own yet.As such, Ubi have released exactly how to do it: the alternate ending is revealed by completing the entire game, and then going back and playing through various maps in order to earn a total of 250,000 points. Other secrets can also be unlocked, including interviews with Jackson and co-writer Phillipa Boyens, a Kong theatrical trailer, concept art galleries from Weta Digital, an "old movie" filter and more. Kong Lives in Ubisoft's Peter Jackson's King Kong: the Official Game of the Movie - Demo of the PC version Related: King Kong 360 Glitchy on Most TV Sets Peter Jackson's King Kong Game Now Available (17 Nov) Discussion >>  id, Raven and Activision have released a new "Quakemas" multiplayer map pack for Quake IV on the PC.The pack consists of three maps - Railed, which is a close-quarters combat environment designed specifically for tournament play; Tremors, which offers a twisting underground cavern environment for capture-the-flag play; and Campground Redux, a remake of an old Quake III Arena favourite. The maps can all be downloaded for free on id's website, where we're also informed that much more are on the way in 2006. Quakemas Map Pack Available for Download - Readme file for the maps Related: Poor Framerates Trouble Quake IV on Xbox 360 Carmack Mulls "Super Edition DOOM 3" for PS3 (28 Sept) Quake 3 source-code unleashed under GNU (22 Aug) Classic Doom on Doom 3 Engine Quake 4 to be "Better Game" than DOOM 3 Discussion >>  As some North American shoppers scramble to get their hands on any Xbox 360 console available, others are turning to Sony’s PSP for their gaming action. So much so in fact, Sony predicted back in October it would double its base by the end of the year, selling another 2.5 to 3 million units. A spokesperson for Sony recently told Reuters it was on track to hit that mark. As of November, the company had sold more than 3 million units in North America. The sales figures come on the heels of the 360’s November North American release. Those wanting to buy the Microsoft console have faced shortages and glitches in their effort to pick up the game. Holiday shoppers, in a lot of cases, are turning to other gaming units instead to put something under the tree. Make no mistake the Xbox 360 is still a popular purchase. Last weekend stores across America announced new shipments of the console, having 14 units or less in some cases. Shoppers lined up by the dozens, braving cold and hours of waiting, to have a chance to buy the limited supply. Source: IQ Online Related: PSP-to-TV Projector Released Gmail on a PSP Sony PSP Takes To The Air Xbox 360 Goes for Over $10K on eBay Discussion >>  Mario Kart producer Hideki Konno has strongly suggested the franchise will make an appearance on Nintendo's upcoming Revolution console.Gameshout.com has posted a short snippet taken from an interview with Konno in the latest issue of Nintendo Power magazine, in which the producer gives his opinion on the new controller and the future of the Mario Kart series. Konno points out the Mario Kart franchise has appeared on every Nintendo platform so far (well, at least since the SNES/Super Famicom) and the "next logical step" is a move to the Revolution: NP: Where do you think the Mario Kart series can go from here? Nintendo Revolution FPS Mock-up One More Surprise in Store From Revolution Controller "Father of Gaming" Gives Thumbs-up to Nintendo Controller Discussion >>  Finding video games that are suitable for an entire young family isn’t always easy, but SEGA thinks it may have the answer. SEGA announced its release of two combo packages – Sonic Mega Collection Plus with Super Monkey Ball Deluxe and Sonic Heroes coupled with Super Monkey Ball Deluxe. Both game combos will be released solely for the Xbox. The 2-in-1 packs will be out before Christmas. Each collection comes with a number of games. The Sonic Mega collection, for example, boasts more than seven Sonic games in one plus some bonuses. These combo packs are the ultimate combinations of classic Sega fun." said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of SEGA of America, Inc. "We're proud to offer two 'Xbox Platinum Family Hits' combo packs that star Sonic and friends this holiday season. These two Sonic compilations are definite must-haves for long time Sonic fans and newcomers to the series." GamesIndustryRelated: PS2 to welcome SEGA classics Sega boss talks Revolution Sega Announce "Shadow The Hedgehog" Discussion >>  When it comes to MMORPG’s, Blizzard doesn’t fool around. The company announced Dec. 19 its World of Warcraft title had passed 5 million subscribers worldwide. The game launched about a year ago in North America, Australia and New Zealand. It was later released in other destinations around the globe. Breaking the 5 million mark follows the company’s announcement of its latest expansion for the game – World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. World of Warcraft's growth continues to exceed all our expectations," said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We want to reiterate our thanks to the millions of players worldwide and to all the retailers who have enthusiastically supported the game over the past year. Our commitment to continue growing World of Warcraft is stronger than ever, with development on future content patches and on our 2006 expansion, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, well underway. We look forward to offering even more content for current customers in the months ahead and welcoming new players into the world this holiday season." In addition to WoW, Blizzard is responsible for a number of major titles in the gaming world, including Diablo and StarCraft. Related: Blizzard's Desire To Be The Best Blizzard: Sale of WoW Property Illegal Blizzard Confirm WoW Expansion for BlizzCon Blizzard Face Lawsuit Over Boy's Death Blizzard Axe 50,000 WarCraft accounts Discussion >>  U.K.-based company Fire International have released a new PSP accessory that lets you hook up the console to any TV, LCD, Projector or Plasma screen.The "Blaze 'Plug And Play' PSP TV Projector" can connect to any screen that has an AV connection, and lets you play games, watch UMD movies and view images stored on the PSP without any modification to the handheld itself. It was released today in the U.K. for £49.99, and can also be ordered online in other parts of Europe and the U.S. Video of the projector in action - Online ordering info Related: Gmail on a PSP Sony PSP Takes To The Air Nintendo Still King Of The Handhelds Win a PSP for using a Search Engine PSP Hacks and Mods List Discussion >>  Japanese gamers who possess a special launch package have been able to participate in beta testing of Final Fantasy XI for the Xbox 360 since the 10th of December, but soon U.S. and U.K. gamers will have a chance to get in on the action as well.Future PLC, the U.K. company behind Xbox 360: The Official Xbox Magazine, have announced an exclusive deal with Squenix to bundle the beta on a free disc that will come with the next issue of the magazine. The issue with the beta disc will be available in the U.S., U.K., France, Italy and Germany from the 5th of January, and participation in the beta will require a hard drive-equipped Xbox 360 and a broadband connection. The Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XI is due for official release in early 2006, for more information about the magazine exclusive, check here and here. Related: Final Fantasy XI Clock Square Enix Coy On PS3 Final Fantasy VII (1 Aug) Discussion >>  Gaming Steve has pointed to a fantastic story earlier this year of large-scale betrayal in the space MMORPG EVE Online.Back in 2004, a contract was taken out on Mirial, the leader of a very powerful in-game corporation (EVE's equivalent of a guild). The fee would be paid on delivery of her cold, dead body - the contractors could keep the riches of the corporation for themselves. The contract was undertaken by the Guiding Hand Social Club (specialty: assassinations), who then took a full year to methodically infiltrate every level of the corporation, slowly gaining trust from Mirial and inserting members into it's board of directors. Then at 5am on the 18th of April 2005, the embedded agents unleashed a spectacular surprise attack, assassinating Mirial and stealing all of the assets of the corporation, including some very rare and valuable spaceships. In the end the ambush netted the Guiding Hand Social Club 30 billion ISK, which converts to about $16,500 U.S. dollars: When we signed the contract, we requested one billion ISK," says Guiding Hand CEO Istvaan Shogaatsu, "which was a large sum at the time. We could not have foreseen the gains upon execution... we found ourselves staring at Fort Knox with the key in our hands." EVE Online Free 14-day Trial Discussion >>  A few days ago Google rolled out Gmail Mobile, a service that lets you check your Gmail account from any phone or mobile device with a built-in web browser. The service will also work with the PSP browser introduced with the 2.0 firmware; all you have to do is point it to http://m.gmail.com Google don't charge any fees for using Gmail Mobile, so the only cost is how much your provider charges for you to connect. Gmail Mobile via Google-blog.dirson.com Related: Sony PSP Takes To The Air Nintendo Still King Of The Handhelds Win a PSP for using a Search Engine PSP Hacks and Mods List Discussion >>  As dismal numbers for the Xbox 360’s Japanese release were announced, hundreds of people across the United States stood in long lines over the weekend hoping to be one of the lucky ones to bring a new system home. This brings up some interesting questions. Why are Americans so hot to get this game system and why are Japanese turning the cold shoulder to the new release? Perhaps it has something to do with the impending PS3 release. Or maybe it's the timing of the Japanese release, weeks after the North American debut. This gave gamers time to report glitches in the system, which may have cooled the desires for Japanese consumers to purchase the consoles before issues were resolved. It's possible Americans are more willing to wade through the glitches to be among “the first” to own the system and check out the new games. But whatever the case, the two markets are as different as night and day. According to GameShout, a market research company reported that less than 44,000 consoles sold during the game system’s first few days in Japan. This is compared to the 2002 launch of the original Xbox, which sold more than 100,000 units. In stark contrast, lines of people gathered over the weekend, braving cold weather and almost certain disappointment to get their hands on any consoles available in North America. Reports from across America said some people stood in lines for more than 20 hours and even paid hundreds to purchase vouchers for the console from others standing in line – before paying the ticket price for the gaming system. GameShout reported that one Best Buy in Orlando, Florida, received only 14 units to serve a metropolitan market. Another store had more than 100 people in line for an available 14 units. Related: Xbox 360 Goes for Over $10K on eBay Xbox 360 To Blame For Video Game Sales Decline? King Kong 360 Glitchy on Most TV Sets Xbox 360 on discount already in Japan Xbox 360 Shortages To Continue Discussion >>  Gamers will soon be able to help save the Minimoys as Atari has signed an exclusive agreement to develop, publish and distribute video games based on the world created by Luc Besson. Arthur and the Minimoys is under development for the PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Windows. It should release in Europe along with the movie at the end of 2006. We are pleased and proud to take part in this international adventure and EuropaCorp's forthcoming film. Arthur and the Minimoys is sure to be an animation blockbuster. Technology will really bring out the sensitivity and energy of the world Luc Besson has created. By working with the film crew from day one, not only have we stayed extremely faithful to the film, but we have also developed parallel adventures specifically for the game, which should be popular with the public," said Atari Group Chairman Bruno Bonnell. Players will be able to relive the adventures of Arthur and his two friends, Selenia and Betameche, on their mission to save the Minimoys. The concept comes from a four-book literary work written by Besson that sold almost 1 million books in France alone. There have been translations into 20 different languages to date. Source: GamePlanet Related: Atari Christmas Ideas From 1982 Atari Flashback 2 To Include Activision, Homebrew Games Atari's Uncertain Future Discussion >>  U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman might have their hearts in the right place, but they are terribly misguided in trying to create the Family Entertainment Protection Act. According to GameShout, the act would make it illegal for stores to sell or rent games rated "Mature" to minors. The penalty for doing so would carry stiff fines. In addition, the law would require the Federal Trade Commission to conduct investigations into hidden content and it would set forth an "annual independent analysis of game ratings." As an American parent, I would have to say on the surface, this seems great. After all, the rating systems for games, movies and music quickly let parents know about content. So, why not enforce the rating system with the weight of the law? It's simple. What began as a tool for parents now boasts its own "hidden content." The act could take the "voluntary" system and make it anything but. The Entertainment Software Rating Board currently is in charge of assigning the ratings for games in the U.S. According to its web site, "at least three specially trained raters" set the ratings for games. That means when the teeth of the law are added, a handful of people would have the say in what's right and what's wrong for America's children to play. The power would lie in the government's hands, not parents'. The ratings system already has become its own form of censorship as parents, too lazy, too busy or too uninvolved to use their own judgment, rely on it for more than advice. Rather than make their own decisions about what their children can or should watch, these parents have empowered ratings panels to do their jobs for them. The act would solidify government power over what children and even adults view and play. That's censorship, plain and simple. For game designers, musicians and movie makers, the ratings systems already have put a stranglehold on creativity, expression and quality. Anyone who doubts this should watch for headlines about movie producers or game designers scrambling to obtain permissible PG-13, R or Teen ratings. If the idea of playing games chopped up to please a panel of raters appeals, by all means support the act. If you'd prefer to play games as they were intended and feel you can make decisions on behalf of your children and yourself, encourage the failure of this act. It's time for Americans to stand up and say enough. We are capable of self-censorship when we feel it necessary. We can refuse to buy a title or pay for a movie ticket. We can even turn off a television set if we're offended. Related: Irish Crackdown on Violent/Explicit Games X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Discussion >> Archives
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